At the Rabbitbrush

I was down in Osoyoos for a hike on a beautiful fall day in September. The morning started off a bit cold, so we left Kelowna later than planned, but it warmed up quickly by the time we arrived. We heard unusual bird calls when we got there and a quick recorded sound check on … Continue reading At the Rabbitbrush

Bugs in the Milkweeds

It is always nice to see the swallowtail butterflies feeding and frolicking around milkweeds at bloom. I decided to take a closer look at the milkweeds this year because I had come across a patch with a lot of bees and other bugs. Milkweeds are called milkweeds because of the milky sap they produce. They … Continue reading Bugs in the Milkweeds

It’s Time to Smell the Roses

We had some much needed rains this spring and the wild rose flowers were spectacular and smelled divine. I made it a point to stop to smell the roses during my walks while taking stock of the bugs on the roses 😊. There were a lot of honey bees, mining bees, bumble bees etc. also … Continue reading It’s Time to Smell the Roses

A Winter’s Delight (Rose Gall Wasps)

I collected wild rose galls last spring and successfully reared some wasps from them. I had forgotten all about the galls and wasps until I came across a banditry of chickadees pecking at galls on a cold winter's day. "Banditry of chickadees" 🙂 - love it, had to look that up. I collected a few … Continue reading A Winter’s Delight (Rose Gall Wasps)

A Visit to the Cacti

The spring crickets and cicadas are still singing but the spring has been very hot and tree fruit bloom time went by very fast. A kind gentleman showed me a patch of brittle prickly pear cactus last spring and it was quite the treat to see the flowers. I saw said gentleman on an afternoon … Continue reading A Visit to the Cacti

The Bees in the Willows

I love pussy willows. Seeing them always lifts up my spirits because I know spring is around the corner. I do not know much about willows but my google reading tells me that there are different species of willows and most of them are either male or female (you don't get male and female parts … Continue reading The Bees in the Willows

At the Goldenrods

I meant to finish this post last fall but did not get to it. I had a lot of fun summer days at the goldenrods - there were bees and flies buzzing around, lots of wasps, butterflies, and I even saw a lone grasshopper at the goldenrods. The bees and some of the wasps and … Continue reading At the Goldenrods

The Hitchhikers

Most insects have wings and can travel long distances within a short time. Some critters travel by hitching rides on winged insects. Imagine a flight on an insect; it must be fun, turbulence may be a problem though :). One of my summer students saw a very odd-looking fly, it was flying awkwardly and landed … Continue reading The Hitchhikers

The Spring Field Crickets are Chirping

I have been on the lookout for the singing male spring field crickets for a while. Crickets are a noisy bunch but difficult to find. I was lucky to spot one sitting high up on a rocky crevice this week. I actually did a double take because I thought I was seeing things :). To … Continue reading The Spring Field Crickets are Chirping

A Cold Spring

It has been a bit cold this spring and it is taking a while for the bugs to warm up. I have been on a few hikes but there has not been much bug activity. Lots of wildflowers though - Okanagan sunflowers, shooting star, woodland star, larkspur etc. The bees have been active on sunny … Continue reading A Cold Spring